“She had to be somewhere else tonight,” he said.
“Her loss,” she said. “And our gain.”
He shrugged in a noncommittal way. She could think what she wanted as long as he blended into the crowd.
“Curious men are my favorite,” she said suggestively, leaning closer to him.
Maybe he shouldn’t have shrugged. He moved his chair slightly when she wasn’t looking. There was no sense giving her ideas. He had no intention of going that far for cover.
The evening went on, with most of the women in the group laughing and telling stories about things that had gone on at work. He appreciated that they’d included him. It turned out to be a great way to watch Morana and her co-workers.
Suddenly, a firm hand closed on Britt’s shoulder and he glanced up to find Jess smiling down at him, though her eyes were sparking with irritation.
“Jess.” He jumped out of his seat. “What are you doing here?”
She forced a smile, but none of the humor reached her eyes. “I might ask you the same thing, lover.”
Without thinking, he’d given himself away when he slid a sideways glance toward Morana who was still mixing drinks like crazy. He might as well tell the truth now. “Just doing a little surveillance. I thought you were visiting Regent?”
“I went over there, but he’s in some sort of meeting tonight, so I decided to find you.”
One of the women who’d been drinking too much waved at Jess as if she were a long-lost friend and urged her to take a seat.
“Thanks, but we have to go,” Britt said. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”
The blonde pouted. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to know each other better,” she said, more than a little tipsy and oblivious to Jess standing next to him.
Jess glared at her, then slid a cool glance at Britt. Her arms were crossed over her chest, looking as if she’d like nothing better than to kick his butt right now. And if he wasn’t mistaken, her green eyes had turned a shade darker. He’d better get her out of here before her teeth grew.
“I simply needed a cover, Jess,” he said, daring to touch her elbow in an attempt to lead her away from the unwitting human who’d so stupidly hit on him in front of Jess.
Jess glanced back at the woman as they walked to the other side of the room. She remained silent for mere seconds, but it felt like hours before she said, “What have you learned?”
Morana hadn’t spotted them—strike that—she hadn’t given the impression of having seen them. But she probably had.
Britt still had his beverage in hand. He took a long drink and glanced around for a table to set it on.
“What are you drinking?” Jess asked him.
He held up a tall glass with a sprig of mint on the top. “Would you believe a Longina Long Island Iced Tea with some sort of special Chinese tea that promotes long life?”
“Not like she’d need any of those properties, herself.”
He took another drink. “It’s good, too. Besides being named after her, I’ve noticed Morana’s the only one who mixes them.” He leaned toward Jess in order to nuzzle her ear and sneak in a whispered message at the same time. “Let’s go for a stroll around the room. Maybe we can get an idea of what she’s up to.”
“Maybe she’s up to being a bartender and that’s the extent of it,” Jess said.
Britt pursed his lips. “You don’t really think so, do you? I don’t know what she’s doing, but I doubt she’s earning enough money to buy those clothes as a bartender.”
“And—” Jess said. “Wait. How do you know how much things cost here?”
“I saw the price tags on your last few acquisitions. You left them in the living room.”
“Sneaky.”
“Not purposely. The price tag was on the top. The amount nearly took my breath away.”
Jess laughed. “You keep forgetting, I can afford nice things if I want them.”
“Still, don’t you wonder how Morana is able to buy her wardrobe, considering the wages she’s most likely earning here?”
She touched his hand and he instantly wrapped his fingers around hers. “Maybe she has another job, or maybe her father keeps her afloat. There could be many other ways she earns her money.”
“Crap, I think she might have spotted us,” he said.
“You really don’t trust her, do you?” Jess said, sliding her fingers up his shirt and distracting him in the way only she could.
He kissed her long and hard.
“You and I have a thing about walls, don’t we?” she said against his mouth.
He groaned, remembering their very first encounter. “Those kinds of memories can get you into trouble, lady.”
“One can hope,” she said in a stern voice, then slid out from underneath his arms. “Since we’re in public, we’d better focus on the project at hand, since you think it’s so important that you came without me.”
He respected the hell out of her professionalism, even though tonight she wore a pair of designer jeans with holes in them and a sequined knitted top hung loosely over her breasts. She also wore heels, not unlike those of her doppelganger. “First time I’ve seen you out without your leathers.”
“They are certainly more comfortable than this get-up.”
“How’d you know I’d be here? And another thing—how’d you find the place?”
“I knew you’d be doing some checking on my so-called twin, over there,” she said. “I know you well enough to have figured that out.”
“And, finding this place?” he asked. “It’s not easy to get to.”
“No it isn’t, but I asked around. Morana had told us the name of the bar. Once I got close, I just followed the crowd.”
Just then, Morana confirmed that she had, indeed, seen them. She stepped up to them, forcing a peevish smile. “You two can’t keep your hands off each other, can you?” she said. Maybe she was jealous that Jess had found love.
“Hi Morana. We were just going to come over and say hello,” Jess said.
“Really?” She sounded cynical.
Jess always gave Regent credit for her partial soul and her happiness, which had increased even more since Britt came along. Britt loved being a part of her salvation. But what had Morana’s upbringing been like?
If Jess and Regent really were related to this cold vampire, Britt could see how their tight relationship could be a bone of contention for Morana. She seemed to be the jealous sort, anyway.
“You’ve been here nearly two hours with those other women, Britt. I’m surprised you didn’t come over and say hello,” Morana said.
“Sorry about that. It was hard to get away.”
“At least, until Jess came along, it seems,” Morana said in a snide voice.
“Of course,” Britt said, letting his gaze wash over Jess.
“Britt says the Long Island Iced Tea is very good,” Jess added, obviously trying to decelerate the elevated tension.
Morana raised a finely shaped eyebrow at him. “Yes, it’s my own creation.”
“Not your typical Long Island Iced Tea,” he said. “Your choice of tea is quite different. It adds an exotic flavor to the drink.”
“Doesn’t it though,” she said.
“Are we holding you up from your job?” Britt asked, suddenly tired of playing this game. He found her sarcasm and leering stares hard to endure.
Jess jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “He didn’t mean that, Morana. Obviously, you’re on a break. Would you like to join us?” She looked around. “We can find a table, I’m sure.”
“The tables are all full. That’s the way they are every night. Thanks for the offer, but Britt is right. I do have to get back to work. I just wanted to ask why you showed up here.”
“We’re following you, of course
,” Britt said and forced a laugh.
Morana glared at him.
“We’re not,” Jess said. “Don’t mind his odd sense of humor.”
Morana gave Britt a hard stare, then nodded. She turned and strode back to the bar.
“Britt, why are you deliberately rude to her?”
“Easy. I don’t like her.”
“You don’t even know her,” Jess said.
“I don’t have to. She gives me the creeps.”
“Well, until we hear from Veronique, why don’t we cut her some slack?” He could hear the unspoken words in her voice: for Regent’s sake.
“I’ll try,” he said.
Her cell phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and read the text on her screen. “It’s from Regent. He’s not free yet, but I still think I’ll wander over that way and wait for him.” She looked into his eyes. “You coming with me?”
“No. You still haven’t had your one-on-one visit with your brother.”
“And you still don’t have any dirt on Morana, do you?”
He shrugged his shoulders, then kissed her again. “You love me though, don’t you?”
“I do,” she said.
“I won’t do anything I shouldn’t,” he said.
“Such as?” Jess asked, tucking her phone back into her pocket.
“Call her an evil bitch vampire.”
Jess sighed. “Well, you certainly know the type.”
He hated that he’d made her think that she was ever the type. “You are not an evil bitch, my love. You never have been, and you never will be.”
“Knock on wood,” she said. “I don’t want to tempt fate.” She allowed her eyeteeth to grow just a fraction and flashed them at him. “I guess these are just love toys.”
“Don’t tease me,” he said. At least he knew how to make her feel better. “Speaking of vampires, I wonder how it is that Morana is able to hold down a job. Where does she feed?”
Jess sighed and her fangs disappeared. “I have the feeling you’re going to try to find out.”
“Damn straight,” he said.
“Just make sure you’re not her next delicacy.”
“As if.” He shuddered and she laughed. “Say hi to Regent for me, doll.”
“I’ll do that. And, Britt, don’t go all undercover ops on Morana yet, okay? Maybe she really is my sister. If that’s true, Regent wants us to at least give her the benefit of the doubt, as hard as that will be.”
Damn it. He shrugged and nodded in weak agreement.
After Jess left, Britt hung around for a while, but his heart wasn’t in it any longer. He kept thinking about Regent’s feelings being hurt if he went too far.
It seemed to him that Morana’s co-worker, the other bartender, was also a vampire. He had a goatee and earrings from his lobes to the tip of each ear. He wore a purple silk shirt, expensive-looking dress pants, and his blacker than black hair and heavy makeup made him look like he was mimicking the human Goths who visited the bar. But he was a Goth of a different sort.
He’d ask Jess later if she’d noticed the guy. He and Morana seemed pretty tight, too, but not in the romantic way. Partners in crime, maybe?
Britt yawned, then stretched his back. He’d had too many drinks, which was unusual for him these days. He felt a little tipsy, even. He glanced around the room, noting that the group he’d followed in had already left. That meant he’d have to trail someone else back out of the caves, so he didn’t get lost.
He glanced at his watch. It was four in the morning. He’d had enough of this place for one night. Besides, Morana had disappeared into a back room a while ago. He watched the other vampire for a time, fairly certain he’d been correct about the guy, who seemed aware of his scrutiny and had become somewhat nervous. That piqued Britt’s interest, but not enough to for him to think about doing anything about it tonight. He’d learned how to ID vampires while hunting the streets of New York, and he was pretty damned sure the bartender was one of them. He’d check on both of them another night.
Not knowing his way out of the tunnels, he impatiently waited for someone to leave. When no one did, he decided to backtrack and find his own way out. Just in case, he checked his cell phone for a signal. Three bars. If he got lost, he could call Jess, or the authorities, as embarrassing as that would be.
Back in the dark tunnel lined with skulls that now seemed to be grinning at him, he swiped at the instant moisture on his brow while he tried to ignore the sounds of ancient creaking bones that made it nearly impossible for him not to panic. From somewhere close by, a gust of stale air washed over him. He couldn’t believe people found it exciting to be down here with millions of bones from graves that had been emptied over the centuries. Were their owner’s souls resting easily? Was that why he found this so disturbing?
He picked up his pace and rounded an unfamiliar corner. Damn it! This area was darker than he remembered. Had he taken a wrong turn?
He walked several feet and as he went, it got darker and darker. Finally slowing his almost panicked steps, he considered turning back. But which way did he go? He’d passed several tunnels that branched off from this one. Oh hell! He was lost.
Running a hand along the wall in order to make his way in the dark, he couldn’t help touching the ancient bones. He shivered and pulled his hand back. He’d rather trip and fall on his face. No sooner had that thought crossed his mind, he stepped on something and nearly toppled over it. What the hell? Had there been a cave-in that had left debris on the tunnel floor?
Wondering why he hadn’t thought of it sooner, he yanked out his cell phone and used it as a flashlight to see what he’d gotten himself into. When he pointed the light at the ground, his stomach instantly balked and he swallowed hard.
He’d nearly tripped over a body sprawled on the cave floor in front of him. “This is not happening,” he said, his teeth glued together while the woman’s dead eyes stared blankly at the ceiling and the stench of blood nearly made him puke.
JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT, Regent left Notre Dame. The meeting tonight had been a surprise, and it had lasted for hours. Two cardinals and several priests had attended in a room at the back of the church. He’d never expected to be privy to the kind of information that had been shared tonight, but he’d finally learned the whole truth about why they’d brought him here. For the first time, he was glad to be one of the chosen. They needed everyone they could get.
One item discussed hadn’t been a surprise to him. As a priest, he knew there’d been a papal palace in France. The Palais des Papes, or the Palace of the Popes in Avignon, had hosted popes for more than three hundred and fifty years in this country. The building was now a national museum. Given the information he’d learned tonight, he had to question the original reason for building the palace in France. According to the church’s historical records, vampire outbreaks had occurred in Europe during the time of the palace’s construction, and during the French Revolution, there’d been a concerted effort to rid the country of the Catholic Church and religion itself. The think-tank of priests he’d met tonight had hinted that evil entities were currently attempting to recreate the same state that had existed during the French Revolution. A takeover of humanity by evil beings. Bloodless, cold monsters that had conjured shadows to invade every nook and cranny of civilization. No door could hold them back. Nothing but religious buildings, running water and iconography could even slow them down. The only safe havens in the past had been the churches, although they learned that some Parisians had starved to death inside their safe zones back then.
Most of the priests had never encountered anything like the creatures that were now building forces inside Paris. If the missing script had been able to fight off the evil centuries ago, no wonder it was so important that they find it now. Regent had also seen the shadows when he strolled the city at
night, though it seemed that his being a priest had kept them at bay. For now. They simply slipped into the cracks whenever he neared them.
That’s why he was here. He’d assumed as much when he arrived and spotted his first shadow. After all, he was most likely the foremost authority on paranormal entities within the priesthood. But even if they were counting on his expertise on vampires, the shadows were something else—something he didn’t understand. He had no idea of the scope of the looming cataclysm facing the city, but the situation must be dire, given the important people in this room tonight.
He took a deep breath and hoped to heaven that things weren’t as bad as he suspected. After the session ended, he strode away from the church before sending a text to Jess, agreeing to meet her at the same café where they’d met with Morana. It would be unlikely they’d see her tonight. It was late, and she’d be at work.
Jess was already there when he arrived.
“Regent,” Jess said, and he did a double take. “Whoa, Jess. If your hair were different, I’d have thought you were Morana. That’s not your usual style of dress.”
Jess glanced down at her clothes and waved at them in a dismissive way. “I got these so I’d blend into the bar scene where Morana works,” she said.
Regent’s heart quickened in hope. “You were there?”
“Only because I figured that’s where Britt had gone.”
“And, had he?” Regent asked.
She sighed. “Oh yeah, he doesn’t trust her for a second. As a matter of fact, he’s still there right now. I don’t know if he’s doing the right thing, but I’ve learned to trust his instincts. I guess it can’t hurt to find out more.”
Regent dropped onto the metal café chair, looking mentally exhausted. When the waitress came, he ordered an espresso.
“You sure you want an espresso this late at night?”
“After the meeting I had tonight, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep for a week,” he said.
“What’s going on?” Concern etched into her features.
“For one thing, I’ve learned more about the shadows,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “I can’t talk here, though. I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” He sat and thought for a minute. “Come to my apartment later. We should have enough seclusion there.” Though he still wondered if he was being monitored by the church. A definite possibility given what he’d learned tonight.
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